


Our Darkness Inside

by halcyon_reaper



Category: Falling Kingdoms Series - Morgan Rhodes
Genre: Don't read if you don't want spoilers, F/M, Near Death, after Crystal Storm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 12:56:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9072622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyon_reaper/pseuds/halcyon_reaper
Summary: This picks up right after the end of Crystal Storm. Told in Magnus's POV and Cleo's. 
Magnus battles with the darkness and confinement inside the coffin, while Cleo witnesses her own loss of control and capability for cruelty.





	1. Magnus

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't stand the cliffhanger at the end of book 5, so I had to jot this down to at least end the scene. Please read and review!
> 
> All characters belong to the amazing Morgan Rhodes! The italicized scene is partly paraphrased and partly quoted from Crystal Storm.

**Magnus**

Magnus couldn't breathe. He couldn't see anything. The darkness was suffocating him, closing around him. He wanted to slam his fists against the wood, but he couldn't move his arms. He couldn't move anything. Magnus's heart pounded against his chest as he fought breathe, sucking in shallow and frantic gasps. He swore he could _see_  the darkness reaching for him.

"Help me!" Magnus cried, body shaking with fear. 

His voice echoed in the confines of the coffin. Buried so far under, who would even hear him?

"Goddess, please."

Magnus couldn't believe how pathetic he sounded. 

 

Stop. He needed to stop. He clenched his eyes shut and focused on the pain from his wounds. His heart still beat erratically, but he forced his mind away from the darkness. Gradually, after what felt like hours, he was able to steady his breathing. 

There wasn't much air, he couldn't waste any of it on losing control. 

 

Magnus knew he couldn't do anything, however. Both his arms and legs had been broken by that coward. Even if he was in one piece, how could he get out of this grave? Buried alive. Magnus choked out a cross between a sob and a laugh. So this was how he'd die. He had to say, he hadn't expected that. The Prince of Blood, buried in a nameless, unknown grave. Maybe Kurtis would haul his body out on display later. That seemed like something that bastard would do. Magnus was sure Kurtis would gloat over killing him, the prince. Just like how he'd flaunted his "friendship" with Cleo. Magnus's eyes snapped open. Cleo! 

 

_Cleo stood beside Amara, a total look of indifference on her face. She glanced at him with disgust, spoke to him with poison in her voice. Magnus felt his heart crumble with every word she said. "Princess..." he finally said, voice barely trembling, betraying his weakness. "I thought I told you to call me Cleiona." she replied in disdain as she walked off._

 

She still loved him. He clung to the thought, refusing to allow any doubts break his confidence.

"Goddess, please keep her safe."

Magnus didn't really pray, but if any deity existed, he would plead to them for her life. 

"Goddess, take whatever I have left, just please let Cleo live." 

How long has he been in here? Magnus felt his consciousness slipping. Could he already be running out of air?

He saw Cleo before him as he faded away.

"I'm sorry..."


	2. Cleo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cleo searches for Magnus and unleashes the new power she gained from the water Kindred.

**Cleo**

"Where is Magnus?" Cleo demanded. Lord Kurtis watched her with a smug look.

"How should I know?" he replied.

"I will ask you once more. Where. Is. Magnus." Cleo bit the words out, her patience at end.

"Guards, arrest this girl." Kutis drawled.

"Stop. You will not touch her."

Amara's command froze the soldiers in place. Kurtis looked stunned, but he quickly masked his shock.

"My empress, what is the meaning of th-"

Cleo cut him off. "Tell me!"

"He's in this compound." Kurtis said with a smirk. Cleo snapped.

"Tell me where he is!" she screamed.

The water symbol on her palm glowed with light. Spears of ice pinned Kurtis to the wall, one on each limb. He screamed in pain as the ice sliced through his flesh.

Cleo's eyes burned with rage. "Where is he?"

Kurtis said through gritted teeth, "In the ground."

"Wrong answer."

Cleo gestured her hand, and an ice blade cut off his left hand.

"Goddess!" he screamed, tears falling from his face.

"Where is Magnus?"

"He's in the ground! We buried him alive. He's in the back of the courtyard. Please, I'm telling the truth!" Kurtis blubbered. 

Cleo raised her hand, but suddenly crumpled to the ground.

"Cleo!" Felix caught her as she fell. She blinked in confusion.

"Did I just..."

"Yes, you channeled the water Kindred's power."

Her eyes cleared. "Magnus!" she cried. "We have to save him!"

Felix grimaced at the name, but nodded. Leaving Kurtis sobbing on the ground, the party hurried to the back courtyard.

 

Cleo saw a fresh mound of dirt in the back corner, along with shovels cast at the side.

"There! We have to hurry!"

Felix, Ashur, and even King Gaius, grabbed shovels and began attacking the soil. Soon there was a large pile of dirt on the side, but still nothing in the ground. Cleo's heart plummeted. Did Kurtis lie? Was this just a fruitless chase?

"We found a coffin!" came a yell. Cleo ran to the edge. There was a roughly hewn wooden coffin sunken in the dirt. The men pried the lid off, casting it to the side.

 

Cleo gasped. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth as she took in the scene. Magnus was pale as death and covered in dried blood. His limbs were twisted at unnatural angles. He wasn't moving. 

Tears blurred her vision. She watched distantly as the king gently picked up his son and carried him to the surface. Grief twisted the king's face as he set Magnus on the ground. Oddly, he backed off, as if he was giving Cleo permission to grieve at Magnus's side first. She staggered forward and dropped to her knees by his body. 

"Why?" Cleo whispered.

"Why does everyone I love have to die?" Her tears landed on his face. She wiped them off even as more fell.

"I'm sorry I hid how I felt from everyone. I should've cherished the time we had instead of avoiding it. I'm so sorry, Magnus." Cleo bent down and pressed a final kiss to his lips. His breath...

Cleo shot to her feet.

"Magnus?" Everyone around jolted at the sudden exclamation. Now she could see his chest rise ever so faintly.

"Gaius! Give me your ring!"

The king looked stunned and offended, but passed it over nonetheless. Cleo slipped the ring onto Magnus's finger. Would this work? Could it save one not tainted by dark magic?

 

Magnus's lips twitched into a smirk.

"About time you apologized to me, princess." 

 

Cleo didn't know why she even bothered with this idiot. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ship Magleo for eternity. I couldn't kill off Magnus. He's still too important. 
> 
> I'm not quite sure the bloodstone could have healed Magnus, but Cleo had to attempt something. They didn't know CPR back then. However, there's still a slight margin of time between blackout to coma and death from asphyxiation.


End file.
